Trang Islands
Andaman Islands Off Trang Ko Mook And Its Emerald Cave, Ko Kradan And Ko Ngai; Parts Within Hat Chao Mai National Park · Sikao, Trang
The Trang Islands are a scatter of limestone and jungle islands in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Trang province, south of Krabi and Ko Lanta, with a slower, quieter feel than Phuket or Phi Phi. Several lie within Hat Chao Mai National Park. The most famous sight is the Emerald Cave, Tham Morakot, on Ko Mook, where swimmers follow a guide through a pitch-dark sea tunnel of about 80 metres into a hidden lagoon and beach ringed by sheer cliffs, possible only at the right tide. Ko Kradan has powder-white sand and clear water over coral, and hosts an underwater wedding each February; Ko Ngai, reached mainly from Trang, has a curve of resorts on a soft beach; the tiny rocks of Ko Chueak and Ko Waen are snorkelling stops; Ko Libong's seagrass feeds Thailand's largest herd of dugongs; and Ko Sukorn is rice fields and fishing villages. Boats leave from Pak Meng and Hat Yao piers. The south-west monsoon, roughly May to October, cuts services and closes many resorts, while Trang town is famous for dim sum breakfasts and crisp roast pork.
Pak Meng Pier, Mai Fad, Sikao, Sikao, Trang, 92150, Thailand
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the islands themselves are always open, but everything runs on boat and tide times. Tours and transfers leave Pak Meng and the island piers mainly in the morning, roughly 8 to 11 am, and return in the mid to late afternoon; the Emerald Cave is passable only around low to mid tide, and rangers may close it in rough seas. Park sites have ranger hours in daylight. From roughly May to October, services are reduced, island-hopping routes stop and many resorts close for weeks or months. The traps that ruin a trip are reaching the Emerald Cave at high tide or with the midday tour crowd, arriving in the monsoon to a closed resort, missing the last afternoon boat back to the mainland, and landing with no cash. Confirm current times before relying on them.